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Tilly is a Golden Retriever/Australian Shepherd from Port Coquitlam

Featured in 03, 2012

Tilly's Story:

In June my family was devastated by the loss of our beloved family dog. I knew that I wouldn't be able to handle the emptiness in the house for long.

However, even I couldn't have imagined bringing a new puppy home just 8 days later…but that is exactly what happened.

When an opportunity came up to see a litter of Golden Retriever / Australian Shepherd pups I couldn’t pass it up. My daughter and I headed out to have a look and we brought our new bundle home that very day. Tilly was an immediate hit with the whole family and even though we could never replace or forget our sweet Gemma, Tilly helped us to move on.

From the beginning I knew I wanted to really work on training with Tilly. I thought agility looked like fun but knew she would have to have a good grasp of the basic obedience commands first. I also wanted to own a dog that I could feel comfortable taking with me wherever I went.

Tilly seemed like a smart little girl but that’s not to say we didn’t have some issues with her. Puppy biting was a biggie because I was coming back from outings and heading for the first aid kit on a regular basis.I knew I had to get down to business with her so I started looking for a trainer.

While looking on-line one day I came across the Sit Happens website.They were local, they did basic obedience as well as agility and let's face it the name just makes you laugh.

They offered a free in-home consultation so I called and set up an appointment.

Jeff arrived for that first visit, explained his approach and did a demo with one of his dogs for us.

My whole family was blown away!

There was such a bond between the two. Cash never took his eyes off Jeff yet he was still so exuberant and having so much fun. It was just what I hoped to achieve with Tilly. I was apprehensive though, I didn't know if I had what it took to accomplish all of this and I wondered just how long it would take to get there.Then Jeff took Tilly and worked with her that very first day. It was astounding! In just a few minutes she was listening and so focused on him.

It was all done in such a calm and positive way. It really was amazing to watch.

Jeff assured us he could help with our issues and said Tilly was a good dog that just needed to know that we were the ones in charge, not her.

After just three in home sessions with the whole family participating Tilly learned the sit, come and her favorite, the place command. She now had the base to start attending the outdoor training sessions. She loves coming to the park for the classes and get’s so excited when she sees Jeff.

I no longer need the first aid kit, she is welcome at her "grandparents" condo and I never hesitate to take her somewhere new. All this after only a couple of months!

I am looking forward to moving on to agility with the Sit Happens crew when she is a little older and physically ready.

My family and I couldn't be happier with Jeff and everyone at Sit Happens.

We would highly recommend them to anyone looking to enjoy life with an amazing four-legged friend.